As a parent is it ok to break the Law?

[stardust599]

I don't think it's OK to break the law...I don'[t think there is a "depends what it is" scenario. There will always be people who think it's OK to break certain laws (speeding, parking, marajuana, noise laws are some examples) but where do we draw the line then? Punching people, threatening...some people will think this is OK too. I think if someone thinks a law is unfair, then they should take steps to change the law, and realize that the laws are made to protect people and often took alot of effort to come in effect. One law here that many find "stupid" is you must pay for your fuel BEFORE filling your tank. It took alot of work for this law to come in effect, and changed because of a young man killed as he chased down a car who didn't pay for his gas. The law may be annoying, unfair, some might say...but it protects certain individuals. I think breaking the law in front of kids particularly, is teaching them that laws or rules...can be broken, and that is something that may be hard for them to distinguish whether a certain law is kind of "grey"...for example smoking pot. How does a 5 year old know it's OK to break that law, but then not break a law on stealing??? It is too complicated, not to mention, that children often go to school and end up accidently reporting their parents anyways. lol...I heard that a couple times while working at the police station. Now I work in bylaws...

I think you are missing the point that some of us have made. I think what we are trying to get it is that we don't do/not do something just because it is the "law" and it says so. But morals are entirely different -

There is a huge difference between speeding, parking, cannabis etc. than violence or abuse, the two are not even on the same level.

i.e. We might park on double yellow lines even though it is an offence and illegal. This is entirely different from stealing which in my opinion is morally wrong. My nephew at 4 is too young to really understand law but he already has morals in him. We do not steal, we do not lie, we don't hit people or say things to hurt the. We don't tell him that he can't do these things because they are against the law, we tell him he can't do them because they are wrong and that is not the way we behave. Noise law is one I consider to be a moral. In a child's term, for teaching it - we don't make noise because other mummies, daddies or children might be sleeping or tired or might be watching their TV and we wouldn't want to make them sad.

Sorry if I'm explaining that wrong. To me "law" has nothing to do with it really, we teach right from wrong instead. x

 

[Laura2919]

I actually think everyone should have to pay for fuel before you fill up. I know some petrol stations in Italy have this and I think its a great idea! It also helps that you dont fill up more than you want to pay Like the extra penny over every single bloody time!

But yes I agree with stardust, I dont think that smoking weed is the same as going out and punching someone or murdering someone. My OH isnt harming anyone but himself and thats his choice, when someone goes out to murder someone they leave a trail of destruction, hurt and sorrow behind them.

 

[Marzipan_girl]

My mind is blown....it's ILLEGAL to take food into the cinema?!?!

 

[Laura2919]

My mind is blown....it's ILLEGAL to take food into the cinema?!?!

No I dont think it is but we are obviously doing something wrong lol. So it feels illegal

 

[Ramen]

The only law I think I could break and not feel like a bad role model is feeding the homeless without a permit in a city with that ridiculous rule.

 

[Blah11]

I dont think ive broke the law at all since ive been a parent I dont think its ever ok to break it tbh.

 

[Eve]

On kids reporting parents concerning marijuana... with my sons special needs, and lack of resources for mental health issues here, I deal directly with social development, and they know full well Mark smokes marijuana and know/understand. Their rules are the same as alcohol. As long as one parent in the home is *sober*. Also so long as it's smoked outside. Children don't always know a parent/parents smoke it. I grew up with my dad smoking it regularly (outside obviously) and was a bitch of a teenager, snooping etc... and not once did I find anything to do with marijuana, ever. He didn't tell me until I was an adult, in which I didn't care really... to each their own. Point is, even our social workers and family services understand it's not as harmful as others make it out to be. I don't do it mind you.. I don't like it but A LOT of people I know do, and most of them have good jobs, and are very responsible people.

 

[Snowball]

I dress the kids up as ninjas and send them out to open a can of whoop ass on unsuspecting strangers for a giggle on a Friday night...

 

[Eve]

^^ OMG hahahahaha! holy sh*t, I nearly peed myself here! hahahahaha!

 

[Ju_bubbs]

I dress the kids up as ninjas and send them out to open a can of whoop ass on unsuspecting strangers for a giggle on a Friday night...

Only on a friday.. you're missing out, I do that every night!!

 

[lesleyann]

Same as others Ive taken food into the movies, Also booze opps haha!

In pubs taken prebrought cheaper WKD and ordered ome which has magically lasted me all night from the handbag

Got people in on holidays in england when paid for say 4people but snuck an extra one in for the whole holiday or just snuck in family members for the day so they dont have to pay!

Ive watched pirated DVD's. Brought cheap smokes/booze.

Oh breaks the speed limit quite offten. Hoovering in a carpark while I run errands so we dont have to pay parking?

 

[smokey]

I dont think we automaticly follow laws that our parents may have broken, my parents have broken many laws (im not talking murder or anything like that) my mum calls it bending the laws but most of what they have done I would never dream of doing.
I have never been in trouble with the police, only law iv ever broken was pirate dvd's (well ok only one since I was 20, before that there was a fair few little ones)

OH and his mates where right little sods in their teens and I normaly got dragged along with them but it scares the hell out of me that LO might one day get up to a fraction of the stuff they pulled.
I generaly think laws are there for a reason and that he will be brought up to obay them rather then picking and choosing what ones he wants pay attention to, theres plenty of time in his later teens to question them if he chooses to but as long as he is questioning them with a educated, well thought out reasoning and not just because he just doesnt want to obay them then that will be down to him.

 

[JASMAK]

I don't think it's OK to break the law...I don'[t think there is a "depends what it is" scenario. There will always be people who think it's OK to break certain laws (speeding, parking, marajuana, noise laws are some examples) but where do we draw the line then? Punching people, threatening...some people will think this is OK too. I think if someone thinks a law is unfair, then they should take steps to change the law, and realize that the laws are made to protect people and often took alot of effort to come in effect. One law here that many find "stupid" is you must pay for your fuel BEFORE filling your tank. It took alot of work for this law to come in effect, and changed because of a young man killed as he chased down a car who didn't pay for his gas. The law may be annoying, unfair, some might say...but it protects certain individuals. I think breaking the law in front of kids particularly, is teaching them that laws or rules...can be broken, and that is something that may be hard for them to distinguish whether a certain law is kind of "grey"...for example smoking pot. How does a 5 year old know it's OK to break that law, but then not break a law on stealing??? It is too complicated, not to mention, that children often go to school and end up accidently reporting their parents anyways. lol...I heard that a couple times while working at the police station. Now I work in bylaws...

I think you are missing the point that some of us have made. I think what we are trying to get it is that we don't do/not do something just because it is the "law" and it says so. But morals are entirely different -

There is a huge difference between speeding, parking, cannabis etc. than violence or abuse, the two are not even on the same level.

i.e. We might park on double yellow lines even though it is an offence and illegal. This is entirely different from stealing which in my opinion is morally wrong. My nephew at 4 is too young to really understand law but he already has morals in him. We do not steal, we do not lie, we don't hit people or say things to hurt the. We don't tell him that he can't do these things because they are against the law, we tell him he can't do them because they are wrong and that is not the way we behave. Noise law is one I consider to be a moral. In a child's term, for teaching it - we don't make noise because other mummies, daddies or children might be sleeping or tired or might be watching their TV and we wouldn't want to make them sad.

Sorry if I'm explaining that wrong. To me "law" has nothing to do with it really, we teach right from wrong instead. x

i think they just go hand in hand for me....for me it is morals, of course...but it is morally wrong to break the law...and i didn't read through, but the title of this thread is "as a parent is it ok to break the law?" so that is why I talked specifically about laws, and not morals. But, I have morals, for sure. I grew up very regligiously, so obviously that plays a huge role in my morals and what we teach our children, but I also work closely with law enforcement, and so did my hubby for 6 years, and so that, for our family, is very big...there are certain things we don't do...and breaking the law is pretty major for us. So, it all falls under morals for us, but as the title of this thread asks specifically, no...I have not and will not break the law...such as not wearing seatbelts, smoking pot (not that I ever would want to anyways), stealing, threatening...or any other law...as well...we have have other morals we follow such as treating others the way we would like to be treated, following the word of God, and many many others. Breaking the law, no matter how I think about that law, is against my morals.

 

[vaniilla]

I don't think its okay for anyone to break the law especially if they're a parent, I'll be teaching my kids I hope to say no to drugs and law breaking, cannabis is a class b drug now so hopefully the police will take more action against it, you can't justify one thing with another just because it's argument cannot hold water on its own, its sad to think people think taking drugs its okay, I would be horrified if my kids were smoking weed but if I smoked it too I would be hypocrite to say anything so I'm glad I've never done drugs and never will, sorry to anyone that doesn't agree but I don't agree with excessive drinking over the recommended units or smoking, just like they'll never change their mind I'll never change mine

 

[Natsku]

I don't think I break laws so much nowadays but I did when I was younger (underage drinking, drugs etc.) but we still torrent tv shows and films. It depends on the law to me, not all laws are good (I don't think the law should decide what we can and cannot put into our own bodies. Or the law dictating whether someone can be helped to end their life in a terminal situation etc.)
I will teach Maria that the most important thing is to be a moral person, but I was also make sure she understands that if she chooses to break laws there can be consequences and she will have to live with those consequences.

 

[stardust599]

I don't think I break laws so much nowadays but I did when I was younger (underage drinking, drugs etc.) but we still torrent tv shows and films. It depends on the law to me, not all laws are good (I don't think the law should decide what we can and cannot put into our own bodies. Or the law dictating whether someone can be helped to end their life in a terminal situation etc.)
I will teach Maria that the most important thing is to be a moral person, but I was also make sure she understands that if she chooses to break laws there can be consequences and she will have to live with those consequences.

What a fantastic way you put that! x

 

[lhancock90]

I have broken the law as a teen obviously and now we steal tv/movies and music (arrest me now!) however there is a big difference is breaking laws like murder and those like stealing the odd movie from the internet.

 

[mummy3]

I have to go with if you dont agree with a law then you should take steps to try and change it, adhering to it in the meantime. I'd say morals and laws are pretty interlocked in general tbh, even if you dont agree with a certain law then by disregarding it and possibly (depending on what it is) making someone else at risk, then you are morally at fault

Is taking food into the cinema seriously illegal? Will be going to more drive through cinemas now lol.

Weed smoking annoys the hell outta me too. I dont judge people for smoking it ( same as cigarettes) but the smell Its one thing when you own a home and do it well out the way but its quite obtrusive if you're say in an apartment. same goes for loud music!

 

[bumpy_j]

would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family?


i don't think you can give a definitive 'no' on this debate, so i'm going to say yes, on a few occasions, it's okay to break the law

 

[JASMAK]

would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family?


i don't think you can give a definitive 'no' on this debate, so i'm going to say yes, on a few occasions, it's okay to break the law

I wouldn't. But, there is other ways to get food in our society...shelters, food handouts, begging for money. Stealing a loaf of bread does affect others...it increase costs, and tax payers have to pay for the legal mumble jumble from theives...not to mention that a stolen loaf of bread can land that person in jail which can permanently destroy the relationships of that individuals family members (kids for example). I just think that is a VERY weak excuse.